


Something Worth Dying For

by WyattShepard



Category: Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 08:17:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16082147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WyattShepard/pseuds/WyattShepard





	Something Worth Dying For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mike Donovan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Mike+Donovan).



Something Worth Dying For

\----

            Mike went down the checklist again from the top while he ran the whetstone over one of his duel blades. He had to make sure everything was in order, this was going to be the last time he and the others would be hunting with their old captain before he got transferred to a different unit. He glanced to his left and nodded to Devin as he and Wyatt walked casually into camp.

            “All I’m asking is how do you sharpen a hunting horn,” Wyatt asked, sounding as if the topic was on his mind often. Mike rolled his eyes and started on his second blade, taking small delight as the whetstone made that familiar scraping sound as he ran it over his blade. He was glad that the four of them had stayed together after getting to the New World. As if just noticing that someone was missing, Mike glanced at Devin and arched his eyebrow questioningly at him.

“The perimeter is secure and there doesn’t appear to be any big game tracks in the area. With any luck they will stay further in the jungle for tonight,” He said, sounding like he was reading a mission debrief instead of talking to a friend. Devin made his way to the tents pitched at the back of camp and ignored the question Wyatt had asked, like he always did when the topic came up somehow. He set his glaive next to Mike before vanishing into his tent. Wyatt crossed his arms and mumbled something under his breath, reaching for the ammunition chest in his own tent once he noticed Mike sharpening his weapons.

“Where’s Jake,” Mike commented, flipping his blade over to sharpen the other side. Wyatt carried the large chest from his tent over to where Mike was sitting and sat on top of it.

“He wanted to get some mining in before we eat,” Wyatt responded, taking the seat next to Mike to use is chest as a table. He hefted the massive, folded-gun from his back and began taking it apart. Mike watched him start cleaning every piece before placing them on the chest. The light-blue gun metal gleamed in the evening sun, the patterns carved there seemed more attractive because of it.

“Has the Captain sent any word? It is not like him to be late like this,” Devin asked as he emerged from his tent carrying a keg of ale they had brought under his arm. Mike shook his head as he stood to accept the keg from his friend.

“None so far, but he shouldn’t be too much longer. Flowr has always made it when we said we’d bring ale,” Mike told him. Devin handed him the keg with a nod.

“True. He also hasn’t missed a single night like this since we were assigned to him,” Wyatt commented, polishing the heavy bowgun’s barrel with a cloth. When they were assigned to be a unit under Captain Flowr he had called them to the Ancient Forest before he had even seen their faces. When they had all arrived he explained that he does this with every new unit he is placed in charge of. They spend a night setting up camp, roasting meat and drinking ale, and then they pick a monster at random the next day and hunt it together. Flowr claimed it was more teambuilding then they would have ever gotten with some of the other officers. Mike remembered that first night they spent here: Wyatt and Jake had taken a wrong turn on the way to the camp and had come sprinting across the open field separating their campsite from the denser jungle, an adult Anjanath close on their heels. Mike would laugh about it now but back then, as Flowr strode past both he and Devin chugging some Dash juice with his bow already in hand and said, ‘At least the other boys brought some entertainment.’ He had never been so terrified. That night had built trust all right, as most situations in the New World needed trust, Flowr had done it all flawlessly. He is what Mike would think of when he heard the words leader, or commander, and he was damned proud to be part of Flowr’s unit.

“Jake, what took you so long,” Devin asked, tearing Mike away from his memories. The last member of their unit, excluding Flowr of course, came strolling into the camp struggling to keep hold of all the ore and metals he had collected. The heavily armored man made his way to the chest waiting beside his tent and dropped the ore into it.

“Maybe mining all this ore,” He responded sarcastically as he removed his helmet and let his greatsword thud into the soft dirt next to his tent.

“Should we start looking for him,” Wyatt asked, looking up from his halfway back-together bowgun.

“That won’t be needed,” the deep voice responded from the trees. Flowr slid down the tree’s trunk and landed quietly in front of the group.

“Took you long enough,” Devin commented as he put the first spit roast over the fire; Wyatt hummed his mutual feelings. Flowr chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry about that. I was picking you all something up,” He responded, tossing something to each of them from his pack. Mike caught his and turned it over in his hands. It was a small, sealed pouch of seasoning salt.

“That’s a seasoning made from dragonstrike nut, I had to pick these up from the palico who makes it for me,” Flowr said as he made a beeline for the keg Mike had gotten ready earlier. Wyatt’s face contorted with confusion for a moment before flashing to curiosity.

“Don’t you make Wyvern ammunition out of dragonstrike nut,” he asked as he slid the last part of the heavy bowgun into place.

“Do you? I wouldn’t know,” Flowr responded, smirking behind his cup of ale.

\----

After several hours of drinking, eating, and thinking back over old hunts and conquests Mike felt like he was on top of the world. This was a dangerous profession after all, and the thing that often had kept them alive over all those years was their friendship and maybe some luck.

“Mike you seem extra quiet today for some reason, are you alright over there,” Wyatt asked, glancing sideways at his friend. He smiled in response as he reached for a graham cracker to make a smore.

“I’ve just been thinking back on what we used to get into together,” he paused and looked at Flowr to drive his point home, “all of us. So, let’s go find whatever we’re hunting and make it eat our ass. I’m going to show the Captain that he can let me do all the worrying from now on,” He said, his voice stoked with passion.

“Glad to see that Mike’s out of his gloomy mood,” Wyatt commented sarcastically as Mike walked over and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“Lighten up, Wyatt, this is supposed to be a party. Besides we have Flowr with us, what is going to fuck with us out here,” he asked but when the gunner opened his mouth to respond Mike poked him in the chest, “It was rhetorical, Wheet-san.”

“Yeah, come to think of it, what are we hunting for tomorrow Captain,” Jake asked as he turned to look at Flowr.

“Glad you asked. This hunt will be a bit different from the past ones, though. I want you to show me what you can do without me there,” He quickly glanced into each of their eyes, finding only confusion and determination, “You will be hunting as four, I will be coming along most of the way until you find the beast. After that it’s up to you,” Flowr finished telling them. Mike could see him searching each of their faces, but he wasn’t sure he knew what the man was looking for. His first instinct told him it was weakness. He didn’t want to send them out without him if they couldn’t handle what’s out there. But the Captain wasn’t like that, he had seen each of their capabilities before and had full faith in them. At least, Mike thought he did.

            “Well don’t keep us in suspense,” Wyatt said dryly, as he took a large bite of a the still-steaming roast jagras. Flowr sighed and took out his notebook, flipping it to a pre-marked page. The lines of his face no longer held any mirth, and it startled Mike how swiftly they had fled.

            “That’s where it gets interesting men,” He mumbled under his breath as he flipped through the pages. He looked as though he had found something for a moment but his expression deflated.

            “They left us in the dark on this one. We only know that our prey is somewhere in the Ancient Forest, probably deeper in,” He explained to them. The looks of happiness that had been on their faces not half an hour before washed away now as if it had been a cosmetic mask.

            “So, we don’t know what we’re hunting, only that it’s in the forest somewhere,” Mike asked for confirmation. Flowr nodded as he reached over for another refill of ale.

            “I have been told that it is a variant of Anjanath, but other then that not much else,” Flowr said, before taking a long drink from the tankard, “so get some rest boys, let’s make it the best hunt so far!”

\----

            Mike wiped the sweat from his brow as the mid-day sun proudly hung overhead. He took a swig of water from his canteen and flipped open his hunting journal to the map of the Ancient Forest. He had been marking it as he went with the trail that the Anjanath had left but it had run cold. He frowned as he stared at the map, as if it would just tell him where the monster was if he looked long enough. Sighing, he closed the book and started to turn around to double back before the sound of a flare being fired stopped him in his tracks. He whipped around and saw a bright red flare leaving a trail of black smoke to the northeast.

            “Devin found it,” He muttered, setting off at a sprint.

\----

            Mike burst through the tree line and found Devin and Jake already fighting the beast. He swallowed the fear that had quickly risen at the sight of it: all fire and rage, nearly double the size of a normal Anjanath. He shook his head sharply and slapped himself with both hands.

            “Get in there,” he heard Flowr shout. On the opposite ridge Flowr and Wyatt were sliding down the slope. As they launched into the air Flowr pulled out his bow and let three arrows loose into it’s back. Wyatt hit the ground and rolled, coming up with his bowgun drawn.

            “Catch a riiiiide,” He yelled out as the heavy bowgun sprang to life, firing fully-automatic slugs into the Anjanath’s side. Flowr was next to Mike then, shaking him.

            “Hey, snap out of it! We need you in there,” He said, pushing Mike to the side suddenly as the beast came steamrolling through where they had just been. Mike nodded and pulled both his blades out and began a flurry of attacks on the left leg.

            “This thing seems different then the others we have hunted, eh captain,” Wyatt managed to shout over the constant rhythm his bowgun was drumming out. Flowr didn’t respond as he rolled to avoid a column of flames that singed the edge of his armor. With little warning the Anjanath turned and leapt through the air and landed next to Jake, throwing him from his feet.

            “Hey, Hey! Scatter and confuse it, give him time to get his bearings,” Flowr shouted, already loading a sleep-coated arrow onto his bowstring. Mike and Wyatt moved to intercept it, but something stopped them. The spines extended on the beast’s back began arcing with an electric pulse.

            “Wait, that isn’t right,” Wyatt mumbled quietly. Mike bared his teeth and tapped into the demonic power his blades held. Deep-red lines outlined the veins underneath his skin.

            “aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHH,” Mike screamed out, partly in bloodlust and partly from the pain of using the form, as he charged it head on. It noticed him easily and turned to meet him. Mike launched his grappling hook above him, latching it onto a tree branch and swung above the monster. He then dropped and began spinning.

            “AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH,” He let loose a feral scream as he pinwheeled down the monster’s spine, slicing into it with his blades. He landed on the other side of the beast and turned, ready to go back in for another round.

            “Wait, don’t,” Flowr yelled out, but Mike was already too far gone for it to reach him. Flowr cursed and launched his grappling hook onto a ledge above them.

            “I’ll get Mike, make sure Jake and Devin know that we’re pulling out. This is something we’ve never seen before,” He told Wyatt. The gunner nodded and strapped the bowgun to his back. Flowr then jumped down, swinging on the grappling line to intercept Mike. He collided into the other man and swung away with him right before the Anjanath covered the area in lightning. He whistled as he watched the lightshow from the air.

            “What the fuck is going on,” Mike barked out, now back to his normal form. As Flowr landed and set him down, Jake and Devin came jogging over to them, Wyatt was on top of a ridge behind them loading his bowgun.

            “We are pulling out, this is a new kind of Anjanath that we’ve never seen. I need you four to get back to Astera and get some help. Make sure they know what we’re dealing with, they are bound to send some help,” Flowr explained, as he retrieved several flash pod-arrows from his quiver.

            “What will you do? There’s no way you’re staying here,” Mike said, already moving to grab Flowr’s wrist. But the Captain only turned and smiled at him, the grappling hook firing from his slinger once again.

            “That was an order, Hunter. Besides I will be fine for a while. I promise,” he said, giving them a thumbs-up as the line leading to his slinger grew tense and he was yanked into the air suddenly. Mike was about to follow him when Wyatt’s hand landed on his shoulder.

            “Come on, he can keep it busy, hell he might even weaken it by the time we get back,” He tried to reassure his friend. Mike chewed on his inner cheek as Jake and Devin whistled out for their drakes. He shook his head before doing the same, launching the grappling hook onto the drake as it flew back to Astera.

\----

            They landed at camp around an hour later with three other hunters that the Commander had assigned to help the unit. Mike was nearly outraged with how long it had taken to get back. But if anyone would be able to survive with that thing for this long, it would be Flowr. The three that the Commander had sent, thankfully, used to be part of Flowr’s old unit: Leone, Zeta, and Kim.

            “Come on, the last place we saw the Anjanath was-,” Mike’s words died in his throat as Flowr pushed himself through the tangle of vines ahead of them. He only made it a couple steps before he collapsed onto a nearby tree trunk to keep from outright falling over.

            “Captain,” Mike, Devin, and Jake all shouted at once, rushing over to him. Mike helped him sit down so that he could lean against a large rock. His armor was covered in scorch marks and burns, and his bow was gone altogether. Mike fought back the tears that gathered on the edge of his eyes.

            “Don’t,” Flowr choked out, his voice rough and quiet. He then chuckled, the sound soft and meek.

            “I guess it was a little too much for me to handle boys,” He said, his dark eyes shining for a moment. Mike slammed his fist into the soft dirt beside them, making Flowr glance lazily over at him.

            “You said that you would be fine,” Mike choked out, managing to swallow the lump in his throat.

            “I guess I couldn’t keep my promise,” the Captain responded as he chuckled again, making Mike’s eyes go wide.

            “Wait, I have an ancient potion here,” Jake said as he dug around in his pack, but Flowr halted him with a raised hand.

            “Don’t waste it, I’m already too far gone,” he told them. Wyatt was outright crying at this point, the tears freely flowing down the sides of his face.

            “With how you fought against it earlier, I know that I don’t have anything left to worry about. Mike, you’re the Captain of this squad now. You’ve already,” Flowr’s eyes glazed over and his hand fell limply to the dirt.

            “Made me… Proud,” he finished, the air gently released from his lungs. Mike simply sat there for what felt like an eternity until a hand was placed on his shoulder.

            “Don’t mourn now, we have a monster to hunt. We have someone to avenge,” Leone said, as Kim and Zeta began searching for the trail. Mike nodded and wiped away the tears from his eyes. When he looked up Leone only saw fire behind those eyes. She nodded her approval and they began tracking the Anjanath.

 


End file.
